Don't Turn Away
by Dark Whispers
Summary: After a bizarre happening of events during a stormy day, Sesshomaru finds himself in the debt of a human and unable to stop thinking about her. SessKag
1. Chapter One

Title: Don't Turn Away  
  
Author: Dark Whispers  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairings: Sess/Kag  
  
Summary: After a bizarre happening of events during a stormy day, Sesshomaru find himself in the debt of a human and unable to stop thinking about her. Sess/Kag  
  
A/N: Hey everyone! School's out and I got a new story! I don't know if I'm going to finish it yet, it depends if anyone likes it so review please! ^_^  
  
Kagome threw her backpack over the rim of the well before climbing out of it herself. She smoothed down her uniform skirt and gazed around her, taking in the site of land unblemished by the machines of the future. As she was reaching down to grab her pack she realized something was missing.  
  
'Where's Inuyasha?!'  
  
It was very odd that Inuyasha wasn't waiting for her by the well. He was always there when she returned from her time, ready to yell at her for leaving for so long. It was such a routine thing for her by now, that not having Inuyasha there made Kagome feel like something was very wrong. . .  
  
Kagome bit her lip and continued onto the village, hoping to rid herself of the worst-case scenarios that were running through her mind. The sky which was just bright and sunny became overcast with clouds while thunder rumbled in the distance. Kagome was getting a horrible sinking feeling.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
He jumped into the air again, scanning the area. Sesshomaru had woken up to find that Rin was missing. Surprising himself and Jakken, Sesshomaru had immediately left his palace to find the girl.  
  
Sesshomaru growled to himself. He was no fool. He had smelt Naraku's scent in Rin's room. The bastard hanyou must have taken her. He would pay for messing with what was his.  
  
He frowned as he landed on the ground again before promptly kicking off again.  
  
'Since when did I start to care so much for a human?'  
  
But Rin wasn't just a normal human. There was just something. . . different about her. Sesshomaru sighed.  
  
'I must be going soft.'  
  
Sesshomaru vowed to never care for a human, to never follow in his father's footsteps. Without realizing it, he'd broken that vow. Now he was frantically searching for the human girl he had come to consider as his own daughter.  
  
He continued to follow the trail her scent left behind to a small village. He became alarmed when he saw smoke and flames above the rooftops.  
  
'I'm coming Rin. . .'  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome was heading towards that same village from the opposite direction.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"SHIT! Miroku, Sango, get out of there!"  
  
Inuyasha still wasn't sure what happened. He had been waiting by the well for Kagome to come back when he smelt smoke. He had run as fast as he could back to the village only to find that most of the buildings had caught fire. Some villagers were still trapped in the houses while others were trying to squelch the flames without success.  
  
Miroku and Sango quickly dodged the falling debris as another hut collapsed. Sango glared at the flames, as if it would scare them into disappearing.  
  
"This is futile! The flames keep spreading!"  
  
Miroku nodded. "I agree. For some reason this doesn't seem like a normal fire. I mean, how would every single hut in the village suddenly burst into flames all at once? No, I have a feeling that this fire was caused intentionally."  
  
"Naraku," Inuyasha growled.  
  
Sango looked puzzled. "But why would he do this? The villagers haven't done anything to him and the fire didn't even kill anyone yet. Unless. . ."  
  
Miroku looked grim. "This is a just a distraction," he said, finishing Sango's thought.  
  
Sango and Miroku turned to face Inuyasha, but he was already gone, running in the direction of the well.  
  
'Hang on Kagome. . .'  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome continued to follow the path to the village, shivering occasionally. It had started to rain and her clothes didn't exactly provide much cover. She pressed on, pushing sopping wet bangs away from her eyes.  
  
'Who is that?' Kagome thought.  
  
She squinted at the person standing a distance away from her on the footpath.  
  
"Hello?" she called, stepping forward cautiously.  
  
She approached the small figure, which turned out to be a young girl. The girl looked up.  
  
Kagome gasped when she saw the girl's eyes. They were glazed over and seemed blank.  
  
"Follow me," the girl said in monotone, gesturing to Kagome. The girl walked to the right of the pathway and started to walk into the forest. She turned to Kagome, watching expectedly.  
  
Kagome bit her lip. She really should get to the village. . . but what if this girl was in trouble? Her mind made up, she sighed and followed the girl through the trees, the rain still drenching both of them.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Where are you taking me?" Kagome asked, still following the girl.  
  
No response.  
  
Kagome bit back another sigh. Inuyasha and the others were probably really worried. . .  
  
"Is it much farther?" Kagome asked.  
  
No response.  
  
Kagome was getting slightly annoyed at the girl, despite the fact that she loved children. She decided to try one more time.  
  
"Do your parents know you're out here?"  
  
The girl stopped.  
  
She turned to Kagome, her eyes flickering from their blank gray to a warm chocolate, then back to gray.  
  
"They're dead."  
  
Kagome bowed her head in sorrow. Maybe the reason the girl was so cold to her was because she didn't have anyone to take care of her. . .  
  
"What's your name?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Rin," the girl answered before walking forward again.  
  
They entered a clearing. Kagome frowned. There was nothing out here but a stump and some wildflowers. Rin ignored her quizzical look and continued walking further into the clearing. She gestured for Kagome to sit on the stump.  
  
"Stay and wait for Him," Rin commanded in the same emotionless tone.  
  
Kagome just stared at her curiously, still standing.  
  
"Who is him?"  
  
Rin simply answered, "My Master," before sitting beside the stump and staring ahead blankly.  
  
Kagome had little time to question the sanity of the Rin before sensing a whole mass of Shikon Shards heading their way.  
  
'How did I not sense them before?!' Kagome berated herself.  
  
The shards came closer. She narrowed her eyes at the man that had just entered the clearing. He was the one with the shards. Covered with a baboon pelt, he stepped toward the two girls.  
  
He smirked cruelly. "Good job, Rin," he said.  
  
Rin nodded and walked to the man's side, standing obediently and he continued to study Kagome. She was completely soaked and undoubtedly exhausted, but still considered him with caution.  
  
"So we finally meet, miko," said Naraku.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Inuyasha sniffed around the well, trying desperately to pick up Kagome's scent.  
  
'Damn rain,' he thought.  
  
He was able to tell that she had gotten out of the well without running into anyone and had begun to follow the path to the village. Inuyasha frowned, realizing he'd have to rely on following her footprints instead of her scent. Her footprints were also quickly being washed away so he picked up his pace.  
  
Inuyasha walked down the path for some time before someone jumped in front of him.  
  
'What the hell is Sesshomaru doing here?!'  
  
His path was blocked by is older brother who also appeared to be looking at the ground for footprints.  
  
Inuyasha quickly pulled out Tessaiga.  
  
"Get out of my way Sesshomaru, before I make you!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sesshomaru could have moaned in agony upon seeing his brother.  
  
'Not now damnit! Why does he always appear at the worst times?!'  
  
"Out of my way, filth," Sesshomaru snarled. "I am doing something that does not concern you."  
  
Sesshomaru sniffed, finally picking up Rin's woodsy scent again.  
  
'This damn rain is slowing me down. . .wait a minute. . .'  
  
Sesshomaru picked up another scent along with Rin's. Flowers. . .  
  
'Must be that wench of Inuyasha's.'  
  
He turned to face his brother again. "I assume you are looking for the miko?"  
  
Inuyasha looked confused at his brother's knowledge of what he was doing before nodding.  
  
"She went in this direction," Sesshomaru said, gesturing to the right of the path which led into the forest. "Come."  
  
Sesshomaru sped off into the woods, Inuyasha following closely, thought reluctantly.  
  
A/N: There's the first chapter! Hoped you liked it! To avoid any confusion, you should know that in this story:  
  
No one in the Inu gang has met Rin  
  
Kagome has not seen Naraku w/ just the baboon pelt so she doesn't know who he is yet  
  
Um yea there is no number 3. . . I just like odd numbers ^_~  
  
Thanks for reading! Review please! 


	2. Chapter Two

Title: Don't Turn Away  
  
Author: Dark Whispers  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairings: Sess/Kag  
  
Summary: After a bizarre happening of events during a stormy day, Sesshomaru finds himself in the debt of a human and unable to stop thinking about her. Sess/Kag  
  
A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone! Second chapter is here! Hope you like it! By the way, if you like Kag/Mir stories or Kag/Inu stories read my other story, "The Trouble with Monks." I have two whole stories now! *sniffles* I'm so proud. . .  
  
Kagome stared at the man in front of her. She was getting a sinking feeling that she had just walked into a trap.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked, her throat dry.  
  
The man stepped closer to her and put a hand on her chin, tilting it upwards so he could look her in the eye.  
  
"I am the new master of the Shikon no Tama. My name is Naraku."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened in shock and the man shrugged off the baboon pelt.  
  
"It is you!" she gasped, struggling against the arm he had wrapped around her waist. He pulled her even closer, nuzzling her neck.  
  
"There is something I want from you. . .and you will surrender it to me."  
  
Kagome continued to squirm in his arms. "I'll never give you my jewel shards!" She froze suddenly as she felt new contact.  
  
'Is he LICKING my neck?!'  
  
Kagome quickly ground the heel of her shoe into his foot, causing Naraku to growl. He put a hand to the back of her neck and squeezed a pressure point, causing her to instantly pass out. She fell limp in his arms as he pulled the Shikon shards away from her neck where they had been hanging by a chain.  
  
He smirked down at Kagome before switching her position in his arms. Now, holding her bridal style, he turned to Rin. "Come, there is no need for us to stay any-"  
  
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER, YOU BASTARD!"  
  
Naraku sighed. 'Perhaps we do have to stay a little longer. . . '  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sesshomaru watched the girl in Naraku's arms out of the corner of his eye. His real focus was on the small girl standing next to him.  
  
"Release the child," Sesshomaru said as Inuyasha demanded, "Get away from Kagome!" at the exact same time.  
  
Naraku simply threw his head back and laughed at their demands. The two brothers watched in annoyance as Naraku's laughter slowed to chuckles.  
  
"So. . . the sons of the Great Inutashio have followed in his footsteps. . .both of you have inherited his affection for humans."  
  
Inuyasha stared at his brother incredulously only to be ignored.  
  
Naraku grinned. "If you want back what you care about the most, you have to fight me for it."  
  
With this statement, Naraku placed Kagome on the ground next to Rin telling the girl to watch her. He straightened, and without warning, dashed at his opponents. Inuyasha quickly pulled out his Tessaiga while Sesshomaru prepared to battle with nothing but his claws.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome's head was pounding and the clanging noises and shouts she woke up to wasn't making it any better. She moaned and reached to the side to pull her pillow over her head, thinking she was in bed only to find she was lying on the forest floor. She opened her eyes blearily and saw Rin staring back at her. She quickly averted her gaze. Something about that child was just not right. . .  
  
Kagome gasped upon finding Inuyasha AND Sesshomaru fighting Naraku. Inuyasha had a few cuts on him and Naraku was definitely worse for the ware while Sesshomaru remained unscathed.  
  
"Come on!" she heard Naraku taunt. "You'll never get those humans you care so much about back at this rate!"  
  
Kagome's eyes widened in realization. 'They're fighting for me and Rin!'  
  
"Rin," Kagome asked slowly, eyes still on the battle in front of her. "Do you know Sesshomaru?"  
  
Once again Rin's eyes flickered to brown before becoming gray again.  
  
"Sesshomaru?" Rin asked, as if testing if the name was familiar.  
  
"The man fighting out there," Kagome said, pointing at the dog demon.  
  
Rin stared at him, her eyes following his every movement while continuing to change color.  
  
"Rin?" Kagome asked, getting worried when the girl did not respond.  
  
The girl suddenly stood up and bolted toward the battling figures.  
  
"Rin, wait! Where are you going?!"  
  
The girl ignored her and raced forward until she reached Naraku. She wrapped her arms around his leg, startling the man, and halting the entire battle.  
  
"Please! Don't hurt Sesshomaru-sama! Leave him alone!" Rin cried.  
  
"Get away from him, Rin." Sesshomaru barked.  
  
Naraku smirked before throwing her off of him. She landed ten feet away with a small thud. She did not move again. "I see the miko has broken my hold over you. You are of no more use to me." Naraku released a powerful energy attack in the direction of the girl to end her life.  
  
Sesshomaru dashed forward only to find himself blocked by a barrier.  
  
"Say good-bye to the girl, Sesshomaru!" Naraku called gleefully.  
  
What no one expected was Kagome jumping in front of Rin, right in the path of the attack. Kagome closed her eyes and prepared for impact. After thirty seconds of just sitting there, Kagome cautiously opened one eye only to find no ball of energy heading towards her. Naraku, Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru were all staring at her in amazement.  
  
"K-kagome," Inuyasha started in disbelief. "How did you do that?!"  
  
"Do what?" Kagome asked nervously.  
  
"Enough of this," Sesshomaru snarled. He quickly dashed at Naraku, grabbing the evil man around his neck and injecting poison into his blood stream. Naraku fell to the ground only to disappear.  
  
"Another detachment," Sesshomaru muttered.  
  
Inuyasha had completely ignored Naraku and instead dashed to Kagome. He quickly knelt down beside her and hugged her, surprising both of them. He didn't speak. Words couldn't express his relief that she was still alive. They both looked up upon hearing footsteps. Sesshomaru had walked over. He quickly picked up Rin and slung her over his shoulder.  
  
Without looking at Kagome he said, "You have saved what belongs to me. I am in your debt. I will find a way to repay you." Kagome stared at him in surprise.  
  
"Hold out your hand."  
  
Kagome did so, watching him warily. He knelt down, Rin still carefully balanced on his shoulder. He placed the Shikon shards in her hand, sandwiching the shards in between both of their palms. His fingers wrapped around her smaller hand, keeping contact for what seemed longer than necessary, before pulling away.  
  
He then turned and looked Inuyasha in the eye. "Watch out for her. She will definitely be more of a target for Naraku now than she was before."  
  
With that, Sesshomaru dashed off and quickly vanished from sight. Kagome, still wrapped in Inuyasha's embrace, stared after him while the rain slowly came to a stop.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sesshomaru quickly returned to his palace. He placed Rin in the hands of a maid before entering his study, giving specific orders not to be interrupted.  
  
He sat in front of the fireplace in his favorite chair, brooding moodily. Today had not been a good day. Rin had been taken right from under his nose and now he was in the debt of a human. And not just any human at that. He was in the debt of Inuyasha's wench. . .  
  
He massaged his forehead with one hand tiredly. 'How do I get into these messes?'  
  
He found it odd that Rin had actually defended him. It was an act of stupidity, and yet. . . no one had ever shown so much loyalty to him.  
  
'Except for the toad,' he thought ruefully.  
  
But Jakken's loyalty came out of respect for his father. Rin's loyalty was based on. . .  
  
love?  
  
Humans were such strange creatures. 'That stupid girl of Inuyasha's. . . she didn't even know Rin and yet she was willing to sacrifice her own life for her. And now I am in her debt because she protected what is mine. . .'  
  
Sesshomaru unwillingly fell asleep while still pondering about Kagome and how he was going to repay her.  
  
A/N: Chapter two is done! Sorry for taking so long, but it is summer! *pouts* I have a life too you know! (I just don't use it that often) ^_~ Hope you liked it and thanks to everyone who reviewed! 


	3. Chapter Three

Title: Don't Turn Away  
  
Author: Dark Whispers  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairings: Sess/Kag  
  
Summary: After a bizarre happening of events during a stormy day, Sesshomaru find himself in the debt of a human and unable to stop thinking about her. Sess/Kag  
  
A/N: New chapter here! Thanks to everyone who reviewed and to everyone who didn't; SHAME ON YOU! J/k! *laughs nervously* On with the story!  
  
"Sesshomaru-sama!"  
  
The moment Sesshomaru stepped out of his study the next morning, he was tackled by a small girl who promptly wrapped her arms around his leg and hugged it tightly. A few moments later a toad demon turned the corner of the hallway and ran up to Sesshomaru, panting.  
  
"M-my Lord! I am sorry! The foolish girl would not sit still and when I turned my back-"  
  
"Jakken."  
  
"Yes my Lord?"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"Right away my Lord!"  
  
Ignoring Jakken who continued to kneel on the floor, groveling for mercy, he turned his attention back to Rin. She was sobbing into his leg, her words muffled by the fabric of his pants.  
  
"Sesshomaru-sama! Rin is so sorry! Rin didn't know where she was! Rin was scared and she thought Sesshomaru-sama would never find her!"  
  
Sesshomaru looked down at the sobbing girl, not showing his uncertainty of what to do.  
  
'Should I try to get her to stop crying? Maybe I should just let her- did she just BLOW HER NOSE ON ME?!'  
  
"Rin."  
  
"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama?"  
  
"Go outside and play."  
  
Rin looked up and her eyes widened excitedly.  
  
"Can Rin play in the garden?"  
  
Sesshomaru sighed in defeat. "Yes, you may."  
  
She squealed excitedly and ran off, dragging Jakken behind her.  
  
Shaking his head and mumbling, Sesshomaru made his way out of the palace to sit in a tree overlooking the garden. Someone had to watch over Rin, since Jakken was useless.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Inuyasha, what's wrong with you?!"  
  
"Nothing is wrong with me, bitch!"  
  
Sango highly disagreed with what Inuyasha said. There was definitely something wrong with him. Ever since the encounter with Naraku. . .  
  
Inuyasha had come back to the ruins of the village, dragging Kagome behind him. He had not told them much about the attack. His description of what happened was, "Naraku kidnapped Kagome and some kid of Sesshomaru's so we both kicked the shit out of him." This had not been very informative at all and was obviously not what was bothering him.  
  
However, they had more important things to worry about now. Helping the villagers rebuild their homes was one of them. Most of the huts weren't damaged too severely, and within a couple of days they might be totally rebuilt. Other houses had been completely destroyed and would have to be built from scratch. Kaede also had her hands full healing the burns of villagers.  
  
The shard hunting group was currently resting in Kaede's hut. Shippou had rejoined them. The kitsune had been quite annoyed he hadn't been able to help in the fire, but Sango insisted it would have been safer with him if he had stayed with Kaede.  
  
"Inuyasha, please, just tell me what's wrong! I'm sorry for falling into Naraku's trap! I just. . .I guess I really am kind of worthless aren't I?"  
  
Inuyasha turned to face her upon hearing her depressed tone. His eyes softened when he saw the tears in her eyes. He reached out and grabbed her hand, holding it gently.  
  
"You aren't worthless Kagome, and I'm not mad at you. . .it's just. . .look, do you remember what my brother said to you?"  
  
Kagome looked at him blankly which made him want to growl in frustration.  
  
"About he was in your debt?"  
  
A look of recognition came upon her face. "Oh yea. . . I remember that! But Inuyasha, why does that worry you so much? He was probably just being polite-"  
  
Inuyasha did growl in frustration this time.  
  
"He WAS NOT just being polite! Don't you know anything about a Demon's Debt?!"  
  
"I do," Sango interrupted. She averted her gaze to the floor uncomfortably as everyone stared at her.  
  
"As a demon slayer," she began slowly. "I had to learn the customs of demons, not just how to kill them. When a demon tells someone he is in someone's debt, it pretty much declares that person an equal to the demon. A Demon's Debt is extremely rare, even ones given to other demons from a demon. A demon in the debt of a human. . . that is something I have never heard of. You must of done Sesshomaru one BIG favor if he told you he was in your debt, Kagome."  
  
Kagome blushed. "I still don't get why you're mad Inuyasha! Sesshomaru owes us a big favor! That's a good thing, right?"  
  
Inuyasha growled, and Miroku was hit with a sudden understanding.  
  
"Oh, I get it now!" Miroku began smugly. "Inuyasha is jealous!"  
  
Everyone proceeded to stare at Miroku like he had four heads (except for Shippou; he's asleep ^_^).  
  
Miroku sighed in exasperation. "Don't you get it? Inuyasha has never earned respect for his brother, not in his entire life, while Kagome was able to do it in one day!"  
  
Miroku was promptly pinned against the wall by a fuming Inuyasha. "Don't assume things you stupid monk! You don't know anything about-"  
  
He was interrupted by a sniffle from Kagome.  
  
"Is that what's wrong Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, her voice trembling. "You can't accept that I can do something you can't? I'm never going to be good enough for you, am I?!"  
  
Inuyasha's eyes widened, panicked. "Kagome, wait!"  
  
He was too late; Kagome quickly ran from the hut, not looking back.  
  
Sango sighed wearily as Inuyasha spent five minutes pounding Miroku's head in before taking off to find Kagome. She approached the monk and knelt down beside him, trying to see if he was still conscious. "Miroku, did you have to do that? Sometimes you can be so insen-"  
  
THUD!  
  
Miroku quickly retracted his offending limb after being reacquainted with Sango's giant boomerang.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome sniffled as she sat underneath the God Tree. 'Inuyasha can be such a jerk sometimes. I don't know why he's so mad. . .'  
  
She heard footsteps approach and someone sat down next to her. She caught a glimpse of red out of the corner of her eye, but did not look at him.  
  
"Kagome. . .I know you're listening to me even though you're pretending to ignore me."  
  
Kagome bit her lip to keep from retorting.  
  
"I just want you to know that I'm. . .sorry. . .for hurting your feelings. I know I should be happy that Sesshomaru owes us something, but he's never shown me respect. Not once. Not even when I was a kid and he was semi-friendly to me. He's always been my superior and better than me, and I guess I did get a little. . .jealous. . ."  
  
Inuyasha stopped babbling when Kagome finally acknowledged him with a hug.  
  
"Oh, Inuyasha, it's okay! You just got me worried when you started sulking! I'm kind of worried about this whole Demon's Debt thing myself. How is he going to repay me anyway?"  
  
Inuyasha pulled away from Kagome, glad it was dark so she couldn't see him blushing. "I'm not sure. But just remember that if you feel uncomfortable around him, all you have to do is call me."  
  
Kagome smiled, "Thanks Inuyasha. I think I'd feel safer around him if you're with me. I mean, even though I'm in his debt, he has tried to kill us all before. It's kind of hard to forget that."  
  
Inuyasha hesitantly wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry Kagome; I'll always be here to protect you."  
  
The two of them sat together for awhile, enjoying the silence, before heading back to Kaede's.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Ugh, I'm so tired!" Kagome whined.  
  
It was about noon and the sun was beating down on the backs of the villagers unmercifully. Everyone in the village was helping to rebuild the destroyed houses and Kagome was finding it very tiring. Kirara dropped another pile of lumber at her feet before heading back to the forest to find more.  
  
'Kirara is a lot more useful than me, especially in demon form.'  
  
Kagome sat on the ground for awhile longer before she was joined by Sango.  
  
"How are you doing Kagome?" Sango asked. Kagome just moaned.  
  
They were talking about shard hunting when a large bucket of water was dumping on top of their heads, soaking them to the bone.  
  
Blinking water out of her eyes, Kagome turned to face to culprit. Miroku stared back at Kagome and Sango who were glaring furiously.  
  
"Opps! I am so terribly sorry girls! You're just so hott and I figured I needed to cool me-I mean you-down." Miroku said all of this without looking at their faces, but instead at their chests.  
  
Kagome looked down at her soaked shirt and shrieked, crossing her arms over her chest. Sango didn't bother and instead picked the forgotten bucket of the ground and beat Miroku over the head with it furiously.  
  
You stupid!-THUD-perverted!-THUD-monk!  
  
Inuyasha hurried over after hearing Kagome shriek and the loud bangs.  
  
"W-what's going on? What happened?!"  
  
Inuyasha turned from Sango beating Miroku (who seemed to be unconscious now) to Kagome who was still drenched. He ogled at her. As soon as Kagome noticed this she grabbed a rock of the ground and threw it at his head.  
  
"Not you too, Inuyasha! I swear, you and Miroku are so-ugh!" She turned to Sango. "Come on Sango, since we're already wet, we might as well go take a bath."  
  
Sango halted her beating and nodded, tossing the bucket away loftily. She sent a death glare at Inuyasha. "You two are in enough trouble already, so you better not follow us!"  
  
Inuyasha watched the girls leave before delivering a swift kick to Miroku's abdomen and dragging him off to Kaede's.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome and Sango returned from their bath an hour later, extremely cheerful that they didn't have any peeping toms to disturb them. It was around three o' clock when they entered the hut. Inuyasha was pacing the hut while Kaede was bandaging Miroku's head.  
  
Inuyasha looked up when they arrived. "Finally! You took forever with that stupid bath. Hurry up and eat something because we're leaving to go shard hunting as soon as possible."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened. "Now? Why not just wait until to-"  
  
"No freakin way," Inuyasha said. "We've already wasted enough time. We're leaving today, before the sun sets, so get ready to go."  
  
Shippou pouted. "You're so mean Inuyasha!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
An hour later, the group was all set to go and had just left the village, heading in the direction of the mountains.  
  
"The next shard is said to be buried deep within a lake in one of the valleys of those mountains," Inuyasha stated.  
  
The sun was just starting to set when a figure appeared in front of them down the path. Inuyasha brought the group to a halt and stared at the person disbelievingly. The rest of the group couldn't tell who the person was, but Inuyasha and Shippou could seem him perfectly.  
  
Shippou jumped out of Kagome's arms and landed on Inuyasha's shoulders. He tugged the hanyou's ear and asked, "What's he doing here Inuyasha?"  
  
Inuyasha simply knocked Shippou off his ear. The kitsune landed on the ground, grumbling. Inuyasha mumbled, "Stay here." and walked toward the figure.  
  
The rest of the group watched curiously as Inuyasha approached the figure.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
'WHAT THE HELL IS SESSHOMARU DOING HERE?!'  
  
His brother's appearance was becoming a usual occurrence for Inuyasha and the hanyou was not happy about this.  
  
"What do you want, Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha growled menacingly.  
  
Sesshomaru looked at him with obvious disdain. "I'm here for the girl."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes widened. "What do you want with Kagome?"  
  
Sesshomaru rolled his eyes before stepping past his brother. "I believe I owe her a Demon's Debt."  
  
Sesshomaru ignored Inuyasha and continued to walk toward his target. Inuyasha followed momentarily, ready to pull out Tessaiga if Sesshomaru proved himself to be a threat.  
  
The dog demon stopped in front of the group, his eyes on Kagome.  
  
"You, girl, I owe you a Demon's Debt, and I am here to repay it."  
  
Kagome simply nodded, her mouth too dry to speak.  
  
"You will come with me now."  
  
'WHAT THE FUCK?!'  
  
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Inuyasha said, aloud this time.  
  
Sesshomaru spared him a glance. "I owe her a debt, I am repaying it by taking her with me."  
  
Inuyasha scoffed, "How is that repaying her? What if she doesn't want to go with you?"  
  
"That is irrelevant," said Sesshomaru. "I am repaying my debt by making her my chosen mate, therefore, she must come with me."  
  
Everybody's jaw dropped at this statement.  
  
A/N: YAY! Another chapter finished! I tried to make a cliffhanger this time so I'd get more reviews! ^_^ Cuz if I don't get enough reviews I discontinue the story. So if you want another chapter you have to review! It's a simple concept! 


	4. Chapter Four

Title: Don't Turn Away  
  
Author: Dark Whispers  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairings: Sess/Kag  
  
Summary: After a bizarre happening of events during a stormy day, Sesshomaru find himself in the debt of a human and unable to stop thinking about her. Sess/Kag  
  
A/N: Thanks for the reviews! O! By the way, Sesshomaru has both arms, k? ^_^;;; Here's the next chapter!  
  
A shocked silence followed Sesshomaru's statement as everyone stared at the dog demon. Inuyasha kept opening his mouth and closing it, failing to make any sort of retort. Kagome just stared blankly at Sesshomaru wondering if she heard right. The tense silence was finally broken by hysterical laughter.  
  
Miroku had begun to chuckle and it soon became a full out laugh. Seeing that everyone was staring at him like he had four heads, he did his best to control himself and provide an explanation to his outburst.  
  
"I'm sorry," Miroku said. "But that has to be the funniest joke I ever heard! I mean, KAGOME as SESSHOMARU'S mate! You've got to be kidding me!"  
  
Everyone continued to stare at Miroku who seemed to be gasping for air.  
  
"I, Sesshomaru, do not 'kid' foolish human. I also do not enjoy being mocked."  
  
Within the blink of an eye Miroku found flailing above the ground, his neck in the grip of Sesshomaru's clawed hand. He tried unsuccessfully to free himself. Sesshomaru waited until Miroku's face started to turn dangerously blue before dropping him on the floor and turning away disinterestedly. He faced Inuyasha, Sango, Kagome, and Shippou and raised an eyebrow, as if daring them to comment.  
  
Inuyasha, finally finding his voice, was completely ready to protest. "What the fuck do you mean you're repaying your debt to Kagome by making her your mate?! How are you repaying her by forcing her to do something against her will?! Sesshomaru, I knew you were fucked up, but da-"  
  
Inuyasha joined Miroku on the floor as Sesshomaru punched Inuyasha in the gut, making the hanyou gasp in pain. He was so fast that Kagome barely even saw Sesshomaru land the punch!  
  
"To be offered a chance to become my one chosen mate is a great privilege," Sesshomaru stated. "It is something that is not offered without good reason. This woman has strength, bravery, and beauty-Kagome blushed at Sesshomaru's compliments-and I do believe she will be treated better with me than she ever could be with you Inuyasha."  
  
Kagome could tell Inuyasha was getting ready to protest again. She bit her lip. If she didn't intervene Inuyasha was liable to open his big mouth and get himself killed.  
  
"Um, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked hesitantly. "Do I have any say in this? I mean, will you give me time to choose if I want to. . .erm be your mate or not?"  
  
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her, and Kagome found it impossible to look away. "If you wish to consider the situation, I will give you time. You have one week to decide. In the meantime, I will be traveling with you. As my potential mate, I cannot allow any harm to come to you."  
  
"WHAT?!" Inuyasha positively shrieked.  
  
Miroku edged away from the enraged Inuyasha warily. He scrambled to his feet and joined Shippou who was crouching behind Sango for protection. However, he quickly moved to stand by himself when Sango grip on Hiraikotsu tightened threateningly.  
  
"There is no way you're traveling with us Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha said hotly.  
  
Sesshomaru smirked. "Would you prefer her to stay with me, alone, for a week?"  
  
Inuyasha looked ready to scream.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The group continued walking on. Inuyasha had no choice but to agree to let Sesshomaru stay. It was obvious that no one was comfortable with Sesshomaru's presence, but the dog demon just ignored it. Inuyasha was leading the group as usual. Kagome followed behind with Sesshomaru at her side, much to Inuyasha's displeasure. Sango was right behind, Shippou riding on her shoulders preferring to be as far away from Sesshomaru as possible. Miroku brought up the rear because he didn't want to be strangled again. He found himself stumbling since he kept looked at Sango and Kagome instead of where he was going.  
  
The sun was starting to set and Kagome was grateful when she saw the flickering lights of warm fires coming from the village ahead. They entered an inn and for once, Miroku didn't have to pull his 'I sense an evil spirit' act. The innkeeper took one fearful look at Sesshomaru and quickly granted them the last remaining room which had three beds in it. This quickly led to complications.  
  
The moment the number of beds was announced, Sango declared that she wasn't sharing one with 'the perverted monk' while Inuyasha insisted he was not leaving Kagome alone with 'that emotionless bastard.'  
  
After much debate (and cursing in Inuyasha's case) it was decided that Sesshomaru would be sharing a bed with Kagome. Inuyasha was not very happy with this of course, but a quick reminder of what Sesshomaru had done to him earlier made him relent. Sango would have her own bed with Shippou and Kirara while Miroku would get the last bed. Inuyasha decided to sleep on the floor instead of instead of sharing a bed with Miroku.  
  
"What if he's having a dream and thinks I'm a girl and feels me up or something?!" Inuyasha asked, shuddering. Miroku promptly whacked him over the head with his staff.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome tucked herself under the covers of her bed, quivering.  
  
'I can't believe I'm sleeping with Sesshomaru. . .'  
  
. . .  
  
'Ack! Kagome, you did not just think that! Get your head out of the gutter!'  
  
Her body and thoughts completely froze as she heard the bed creak under new weight. Sesshomaru had climbed into the bed with her, his armor removed. She felt Sesshomaru's arms wrap around her from behind and pull her closer.  
  
"Relax," he whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling her.  
  
From across the room she heard a wolf whistle and she quickly glared in Miroku's direction. He smiled back innocently. She saw Sango flash a sympathetic smile at her before climbing into her own bed. A few feet away, Inuyasha was leaning against the wall. His eyes were fixed on the site of Sesshomaru's arms wrapped around Kagome.  
  
Oh yes, Kagome was certain she was in for a long, sleepless night.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
She was afraid, he could smell it. Despite his request that she relax, she still remained as stiff as a board in his arms. What happened to the defiant girl that was always ready to fight, even when things were hopeless? Where was the girl who had turned down the offer to become his mate just a few hours ago?  
  
If this girl, Kagome, had his respect-and she did-he wanted her to respect him, not fear him. Respect and fear are two different things. He pulled her closer and sighed into her hair. Getting her to accept the position as his mate was going to be harder than he thought.  
  
"You aren't sleeping."  
  
Kagome shifted slightly, startled at his statement. "Neither are you."  
  
He smiled ruefully at her remark.  
  
"Face me."  
  
She hesitated for a moment her eyes flicking over to Sango, Miroku, and finally, Inuyasha who seemed to be asleep. She carefully rotated herself until she was facing Sesshomaru. She found herself unable to meet his eyes and instead looked down at the bed sheets.  
  
"Look at me," he commanded.  
  
She reluctantly met his eyes and felt herself become swallowed by their intenseness.  
  
"I do not want you to fear me," he said. "I choose you as my mate to repay what you did for Rin. However, I will not choose a weakling to rule by my side. Your strength is what attracted me in the first place."  
  
Kagome gave a small smile and nodded understandingly. She cautiously snuggled closer to Sesshomaru, still facing him. "Good-night," she mumbled sleepily. Sesshomaru tightened his embrace as a sign of acknowledgement.  
  
The other members of the room slept on unknowingly.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome woke up the next morning feeling warm and happy. She buried her head deeper into her pillow to block out the noise of the twittering birds before realizing that her 'pillow' was really Sesshomaru's chest. She blushed even though he was asleep and studied him. Sesshomaru's face was relaxed and peaceful, his lips almost stretched in a small smile.  
  
Kagome closed her eyes again, ready to doze off seeing that no one else was up yet when she was roughly pulled out of Sesshomaru's arms by the collar of her shirt. Her eyes widened in surprise as the same person wrapped an arm around her waist protectively while removing her from the bed.  
  
She wasn't moved too far because the moment Kagome was wrenched from Sesshomaru's arms, the demon's eyes shot open and he latched onto Kagome's wrist. He quickly sat up and eyed the person who disturbed his sleep.  
  
"Inuyasha," he started calmly. "What are you doing?"  
  
It was obvious Inuyasha was extremely angry. His grip tightened on Kagome's waist. "What do you mean what am I doing?! The real question is what were you doing!"  
  
"I was sleeping before you rudely woke me up," Sesshomaru stated dryly.  
  
Inuyasha growled in annoyance. "What were you doing to Kagome?"  
  
Kagome blushed, understanding what Inuyasha was so angry about. "Um, Inuyasha? He didn't do anything, honestly. We were just sleeping."  
  
"He was all over you!" Inuyasha raged, sniffing her. "And you're covered in his scent!"  
  
The others were watching the exchange silently from across the room.  
  
Sesshomaru's eyes were now narrowing dangerously. "Release her."  
  
"No," said Inuyasha stubbornly.  
  
Both of them were starting to growl at each other and Kagome was starting to get frustrated.  
  
"Oh honestly!" she said. She wrenched her wrist from Sesshomaru's grasp, watching as his eyes widened slightly in surprise while his face betrayed nothing.  
  
"You guys are acting like little kids!" Inuyasha snickered at Sesshomaru's expression when told he was behaving like a child. Kagome faced Inuyasha and frowned.  
  
"Inuyasha, you're no better! SIT!" Kagome said, forgetting Inuyasha's arm was still around her waist. As a result, she found herself pinned to the floor by Inuyasha with the wind knocked out of her. Inuyasha's body lay over hers and his lips were firmly planted on hers.  
  
Kagome blinked in shock and stared into Inuyasha's eyes. He also looked quite surprised at what had happened but decided to take advantage of it. His tongue had just run over Kagome's lips when he felt himself lifted off of her body and thrown against the wall. Sesshomaru glared at Inuyasha and growled warningly before helping Kagome to her feet.  
  
The two brothers continued to glare at each other while Kagome stood on the sidelines watching anxiously. "Keep your hands off her." Sesshomaru said, his voice deadly calm.  
  
"Feh!" Inuyasha scoffed. "I should be saying that to you."  
  
"Does anyone else here want breakfast?" Miroku interrupted with a cheeky smile.  
  
Sango did not hesitate to bash him over the head with Hiraikotsu.  
  
A/N: Hope you liked the chapter and remember to review! I'm going on a vacation and won't be able to update until AT LEAST July 14. Sorry guys! ^_^;;; I'll make it up to you when I get back! Ugh. . . I hate airplanes. _ 


	5. Chapter Five

Title: Don't Turn Away  
  
Author: Dark Whispers  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairings: Sess/Kag  
  
Summary: After a bizarre happening of events during a stormy day, Sesshomaru find himself in the debt of a human and unable to stop thinking about her. Sess/Kag  
  
A/N: I'm back! Sorry it took so long for me to update! ^_^;;;; I had an awesome vacation-erm you guys probably just want me to get on with the story now though, right? Okay then, here it is!  
  
"Are we there yet?"  
  
"Not yet, Shippou."  
  
. . .  
  
"Are we there yet?"  
  
"Lady Kagome just said we weren't there yet, Shippou."  
  
"Oh, okay. . ."  
  
. . .  
  
"Are w-"  
  
"SHIPPOU I'M GONNA FREAKIN KILL YOU!"  
  
"SIT!"  
  
THUD!  
  
"BITCH!"  
  
Patience was running thin and tempers were running high as the group continued the hunt for jewel shards. . .in the rain.  
  
Shippou sniffled. "I only wanted to know if we were there yet! I'm cold and hungry and tired and wet!"  
  
Kagome knelt down next to him and pulled him into a hug. "I know Shippou, we all feel the same way, but right now we need to just be patient and keep going, ok?"  
  
Shippou nodded meekly and Kagome lifted him up deciding to carry him the rest of the way.  
  
"Inuyasha, maybe it would be wise if we stopped," Miroku said. "It seems like it's starting to hail." The monk winced as hail began to pound his body mercilessly.  
  
Inuyasha snorted. "Feh! You guys are pathetic! We're gonna keep going until we find that shard! Now come on!"  
  
With that, they continued to walk, the weather getting considerably worse as they followed the winding path through the mountains. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru remained pretty much unaffected by the hail and wind that pounded their bodies, but Shippou and the others weren't as lucky.  
  
Miroku and Sango were clinging to a transformed Kirara, pressing ahead through the gale as Kagome trotted on behind Sesshomaru who provided cover from the hail and rain.  
  
'This isn't any ordinary storm: the closer we get to the lake where the demon is said to be, the worse the weather gets!' Kagome thought.  
  
Nevertheless, the group continued on, occasionally slipping on the wet rock, taking unpleasant falls into the mud. By the time they reached the part, of the mountain that overlooked the valley with the lake in it, the humans of the group were shivering violently, and even the demons were beginning to feel fatigued from the extreme conditions. They managed to find a cave, and once it was inspected and declared abandoned, they hurried inside, eager for shelter from the rain.  
  
The cave was relatively small, its back stretching only 10 yards into the mountain. It was also relatively small in height. Kagome was just able to stand without having her head brush against the ceiling, but Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had to walk at a crouch. Water occasionally dripped from the ceiling, but other than that, it was dry and cozy.  
  
The moment they were all inside, Inuyasha shook the water off of him by shaking like a dog, soaking everyone around him even more. Sesshomaru scowled at him as flecks of water landed on his face, but Kagome simply giggled at his dog-like antics. She wondered for a moment why Sesshomaru didn't dry himself like that, but she figured he was too dignified. Instead, the demon simply squeezed the sleeves of his robe, causing the excess water to drip to the floor before sitting down gracefully, back completely straight.  
  
Sango and Miroku were sitting at opposite sides of the cave after Miroku tried to 'dry her off' by using a 'squeezing method' similar to what Sesshomaru did. The poor monk just never learned his lesson. Shippou was curled up on Sango's lap, fast asleep, curled in a ball with his head buried in his tail in typical fox fashion. Miroku was looking at the kitsune sulkily, as if he was wishing he was in Sango's lap instead.  
  
Even though they were out of the rain, they were still cold with their damp clothes and no source of heat. Luckily, Inuyasha found some paper in Kagome's backpack-"Inuyasha, that's my algebra homework! You can't burn that!" "Feh! You don't need it, wench!"-and with a few strikes of a match, they soon had a roaring fire burning.  
  
Kagome let the heat wash over her like a warm bath, her muscles relaxing. However, the fire could only do so much to warm her up when her clothes were still so damp. Her shirt clung to her like a second skin, and she was thankful that she was wearing a bra, especially with Miroku around. She sneezed and groaned in exasperation. She was probably going to get a cold all because of the stupid rain. Inuyasha noticed she was still shivering.  
  
"Kagome," he said, "take your shirt off."  
  
Miroku's jaw dropped in amazement while Sango sat up abruptly to hit Inuyasha with her boomerang causing Shippou fell out of her lap though slept on obliviously. Kagome just stared blankly while Sesshomaru looked up in irritation, narrowing his eyes at Inuyasha for the audacity of his request.  
  
"What?" Kagome asked dumbly.  
  
"I didn't mean it like that!" Inuyasha roared, rubbing his head from where Sango hit him. "Who do I look like, Miroku?! I just meant that if you don't take that wet shirt off, you're going to catch a cold! It's not like it will make much of a difference; you can already see through it."  
  
Kagome crossed her arms of her chest and blushed. "I'm NOT taking my shirt off."  
  
"Feh! It was just a suggestion wench! Go ahead, get sick! See if I care. . ."  
  
Deciding to take matters into his own hands, the forgotten Sesshomaru came up from behind Kagome and pulled the wet shirt over her head. He also slashed a claw down her skirt, causing the small piece of fabric to split in half, leaving Kagome in only her undergarments. She squeaked in surprise and tried to cover herself. Miroku seemed to be enjoying the show, and Inuyasha was growling at Sesshomaru.  
  
Kagome was not left exposed for long. Sesshomaru quickly pulled a dry blanket from Kagome's pack and wrapped it around her snuggly before lifting her up and cradling her in his arms, ignoring her feeble protests.  
  
"Go to sleep, all of you. Your incessant bickering is irritating me."  
  
Inuyasha opened his mouth to retort, not wanting to take any orders from his brother, but Miroku whacked him over the head with his staff and shook his head as a sign to hold his tongue. The hanyou glared defiantly but remained silent. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest, pouting childishly. Sango also leaned against the wall, Shippou once again curled in her lap, only now joined by Kirara. Miroku was lying on the floor while Sesshomaru still had Kagome bundled in his arms. They all fell into a restless sleep while the storm continued to rage outside.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After a quick breakfast the next morning, it was decided that they would continue on despite the weather. Since Kagome was out of uniforms, she was forced to change into her spare set of clothes which was a pair of jeans, comfortable sneakers, and a long sleeved shirt with a low neckline. With her waterproof jacket, the rain didn't feel half as bad as it did yesterday.  
  
The hail however did affect her, along with everyone else. The golf ball sized chunks of ice pounded the weary travelers' bodies hard enough to bruise. To make matters worse, lightening had begun to flash across the sky, and the rumbles of thunder that followed seemed to make the ground shake with their intensity.  
  
Shippou shivered against her as she held him tightly under the rain coat. The poor kitsune had never been fond of thunderstorms, but after his encounter with the Thunder Brothers, he was positively terrified of them.  
  
Everyone was extremely relieved when they reached the lake. The raindrops were bouncing off the surface of the water rapidly, but other than that the water was peaceful. There seemed to be no sign of any demon, and for a moment, Kagome was wondering if this whole trip through the mountains had just been one wild goose-chase. Her doubts were quickly wiped away when the ground beneath her started to quake and the center of the lake startled to ripple. The ripples spread to the very edge of the body of water and waves started to coat the lake's surface. From within the deepest depths of the murky water rose a giant sea serpent. The creature shrieked angrily, causing Inuyasha to cover his ears in pain. Kagome could have sworn she even saw Sesshomaru wince at the noise.  
  
The snake was a bright blue color with shining scales that flashed silver. Waves from the where it emerged moved to the shore and lapped at the shard hunting group's feet. Everyone readied their weapons of choice before springing into action.  
  
"The jewel shard is still underwater! It must be in its tail!" Kagome shouted, clumsily fitting an arrow into her bow.  
  
Inuyasha raised the Tetsusaiga over his head and slashed down on the snake's neck. Surprisingly, the great sword did not even puncture the snake's scales. Instead it scraped against it with a shrill squeak, sparks flying into the water below from the friction. Kagome heard Sesshomaru snort in disdain next to her. He obviously felt that he could to better. Instead of harming the snake, Inuyasha had only made it become more irritable.  
  
It shrieked again and opened its mouth with a shrill hiss, revealing deadly fangs at least five feet long. The snake hissed in rapid succession, and everyone paused what they were doing, wondering what was going to happen next. Sango's eyes widened in realization when the lake began to ripple and quiver.  
  
"It's calling reinforcements!"  
  
Sure enough, hundreds of smaller snakes appeared from all over the lake and slithered towards the shore. They were very small compared to the snake with the Shikon shard, but they were still bigger than them and filled with very deadly venom.  
  
Sango took out five snakes with her boomerang before they even reached the shore, and Miroku was looking for an opportunity to use his wind tunnel. A transformed Kirara was guarding Shippou who would occasionally use his fox-fire to ward of the snakes, but it was an exhausting task. Kagome was just getting ready to fire an arrow when Sesshomaru stopped her.  
  
"Save your arrows; you're going to need them for the larger one."  
  
"Then how am I supposed to protect myself?" she asked.  
  
Sesshomaru smirked at her. "You won't have too."  
  
Kagome didn't have time to figure out what he meant because in the blink of an eye, Sesshomaru's tail had wrapped around her waist. He jumped up into the air, Kagome still wrapped securely.  
  
"Climb onto my back," he commanded.  
  
Kagome scrambled to follow his instructions. She was holding on only with her legs as she readied an arrow. Inuyasha was still trying to find the snake's weak spot. He had managed to stab the snake inside the mouth a few times, causing it to hiss in agony and thrash, but it wasn't enough to stop the mighty beast. After thinking over her choices quickly, Kagome shouted at Inuyasha to hold the snake still. He looked at her questioningly, but obeyed anyway, wrapping his arms around the snake's neck in an effort to keep it steady.  
  
She fumbled as she pulled the arrow back, squinting in concentration. Sesshomaru was heading closer towards the snake, and if she didn't shoot now they probably wouldn't have another chance at it. The rain still poring down her face made it hard to see. The snake was starting to thrash more, and Kagome quickly released her arrow. She closed her eyes tightly and prayed for success. A second later, she heard shrieks of agony from the snake and opened her eyes hesitantly.  
  
Her aim had been true. The arrow had pierced the eye of the snake, and a pink light was starting to spread throughout the snake's body. It gave one last hiss before crumbled to dust. Immediately, the storm clouds vanished, as if they had never been there, and all of the smaller snakes with it. She sighed in relief and Sesshomaru squeezed her leg in reassurance.  
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted. "Where's the shard?"  
  
Kagome squinted down at the lake before groaning. "It's underwater!"  
  
Inuyasha cursed, but Sesshomaru simply told Kagome to hold her breath before plunging into the water below. If Kagome was able to scream she would've for the water was freezing cold.  
  
'I just changed my clothes too!' she thought mournfully.  
  
She quickly put her mind back to the task at hand and pointed to where she sensed the shard coming from for Sesshomaru. He swam over to a gathering of murky green plants, and Kagome quickly saw the slightly glowing shard. She picked it up, making it shine with a bright pink light, before gesturing to Sesshomaru to swim to the surface.  
  
Kagome gasped for air, still clutching the shard tightly in her hand. Sesshomaru pulled her to the shore and helped pull her out. The rest of the group was delighted to finally have the shard. This had been a particularly hard one to get. Shippou jumped into Kagome's arms, happy to see her safe, and she clutched the small fox to her, eager to get warm. Inuyasha draped his haori over her shoulders and she smiled thankfully at him.  
  
It was decided that they would camp at the lake that night since the danger in the area had been rid of.  
  
Oh how wrong they were. . .  
  
A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in awhile! ^_^;;; I kinda ran out of ideas. Hoped you liked this chapter though, and please review! 


	6. Chapter Six

Title: Don't Turn Away  
  
Author: Dark Whispers  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairings: Sess/Kag  
  
Summary: After a bizarre happening of events during a stormy day, Sesshomaru find himself in the debt of a human and unable to stop thinking about her. Sess/Kag  
  
Inuyasha studied his brother warily. The demon appeared to be sleeping, but Inuyasha knew better. It was likely that Sesshomaru wouldn't get any sleep tonight. Even though they had defeated the demon with the shard, Inuyasha still felt the presence of something sinister. Sesshomaru probably sensed it too.  
  
The humans had fallen asleep long ago, oblivious to the danger. Miroku had moved his sleeping bag closer to Sango after she had fallen asleep, and now he was practically on top of her. That would explain the goofy grin on his face. Kagome had originally fallen asleep in her sleeping bag, but when she started to shiver, Sesshomaru scooped her into his arms, much to Inuyasha's annoyance.  
  
He just couldn't understand it. Sesshomaru *hated* humans. He hated them with a passion. Why would he suddenly claim Kagome as his mate? What was he planning?  
  
Inuyasha's ears flattened sadly. Sesshomaru had taken his only chance at winning Kagome over. Just when she was starting to like him, Sesshomaru had to come in and just take her away! He was always doing things like that when they were children.  
  
"Go to sleep, Inuyasha."  
  
The hanyou snorted. "Sesshomaru, I don't know who you think you are, but just because you've joined our group doesn't mean anyone's going to take orders from you. I'm trying to protect the other members of my pack. If you get in my way, I'll have no choice but to dispose of you."  
  
Sesshomaru resisted rolling his eyes at his brother. When had the hanyou gotten such a backbone?  
  
'I guess he'll do anything if it involves the well-being of Kagome.'  
  
Sesshomaru frowned. Since when he had started calling the girl Kagome? When he chose her to be his mate, he had done so because he was in her debt, and she happened to fit the criteria. He hadn't actually cared about her. He didn't have to care about her. Her only function would be to bear him an heir.  
  
'But today, when that demon attacked. . .all I could thing was her safety.'  
  
The miko was winding a very dangerous spell around him without even realizing it. Emotions would make them weak, and yet she managed to invoke them in him daily. It was simply astonishing what she could do to him without even trying.  
  
He buried his face in her hair, inhaling the smell of cherries and warm vanilla. There was no way she could be human. She was just too different.  
  
'Do I love you, Kagome?' he asked himself.  
  
Inuyasha growled softly as Sesshomaru studied Kagome. His hand strayed to Tessaiga unconsciously. However, this was one problem that couldn't be fixed by hacking down some demon with his sword; the girl he loved was being stolen away before his very eyes by his brother, Sesshomaru. He was going to have to do something to stop it.  
  
Inuyasha's hair whipped about his face as the wind picked up, blowing viciously. Sesshomaru stood up abruptly, clutching Kagome tightly to him and growling menacingly. Inuyasha sensed it too; this was the dark presence that had been settling in the area. The foul scent of Naraku hit his nose, and he presumed that one of offspring was on the way. Everyone was now awake and on their feet. The tension could be cut with a knife, and no one knew where the attack would come from. Kagome shook of the last remnants of sleep and gripped her bow tightly, a hand reaching back to her quiver of arrows.  
  
That was when it happened. The demon was so fast it whipped past as nothing more than a gust of wind. However, it was soon realized they were under attack when blood started to spill from Sesshomaru's side where the demon had gone by and slashed him, unnoticed by everyone.  
  
Kagome felt her breath catch in her throat while gasps from her friends mirrored her shock. How was this demon so fast that not even *Sesshomaru* had sensed it coming? It had managed to wound him without him even knowing it!  
  
An enraged growl escaped rumbled from deep within Sesshomaru's chest as he lifted bloody fingers to his face.  
  
'No one makes a fool out of this Sesshomaru,' he thought furiously, glaring at the demon that had just revealed himself.  
  
He was tall, almost as tall as Sesshomaru with unusually tanned skin. His long black hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and the same coal black eyes Naraku possessed examined them coldly. He was wearing an outfit similar to Inuyasha's only it wasn't as baggy and in dark blue.  
  
"I am Mangetsu. I was sent to kill you."  
  
He was emotionless as Kanna.  
  
Inuyasha brandished Tessaiga angrily while Sesshomaru gripped Toukijin, both waiting for a moment to attack. A devious smirk crossed his face that made Kagome wish he had remained emotionless. He vanished and a second later Inuyasha was hurled a few feet back by a fist to his gut. Kagome felt her pulse beat erratically. How were they supposed to beat a demon that they couldn't see?  
  
Sango fell to the ground without warning when Mangetsu wrested her boomerang from her hands and slammed it over her own head. The harsh crack that came from the weapon's impact made Miroku wince and drop to her side, examining her head with great concern, fingers running through her hair gently.  
  
Kagome tensed. She had a horrible feeling that she would be the next to fall. She fit an arrow in her bow and pulled the string back, glancing every which way. It was a useless effort; she knew very well she'd never be able to sense Mangetsu before he managed to hit her.  
  
She and Sesshomaru were standing back to back. The forest around them was silent. It drove her insane. Not a leaf rustled, nor a twig snapped. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the dull clunk of the Tessaiga hitting the ground. Inuyasha used his sword to pull himself back to his feet.  
  
"Do you think he left? I can't even smell him anymore," Inuyasha stated, his nose twitching.  
  
"Be silent," Sesshomaru growled. "He's still here. The bastard is moving around to fast to catch his scent. He'll come out eventually."  
  
Kagome chewed her lip nervously, trying to sense Mangetsu. She blinked and was surprised to see Sesshomaru in front of her when she opened her eyes. He was gripping Mangetsu's wrist tightly with one hand, his sharp claws creating lines of blood that his acidic poison seeped into.  
  
"H-how. . .you couldn't see me," he stuttered, wincing in pain as the poison flooded his veins and spread throughout his body.  
  
Sesshomaru snorted in disgust. "I do not depend on sight alone. You are most definitely an offspring of Naraku as you share his cowardice. Your advantage in battle depends on your ability to attack unseen. Overconfidence can kill you, as you are about to learn. . ."  
  
A quick slash of claws sent Mangetsu to the floor, gurgling desperately as blood spilled from his neck. The skin of his face took on a slightly greenish hue as Sesshomaru's poison spread more deeply into him, even as he was dieing.  
  
"F-fool," he rasped. "Y-you may have k-killed me. . .but. . .I . . .I. . .have achieved my goal. You will. . .die. . .Sesshomaru. . ."  
  
His body slumped downwards, his last breath flowing from his mouth as his eyes went vacant, staring into nothingness. The very sight of Mangetsu made Kagome shudder. Sure, she had heard of Sesshomaru's cold-hearted killing, but she had never seen it first-hand. The indifferent calm on the demon's face terrified her. He simply flicked the blood off his hand casually before resheathing his sword.  
  
No one knew what to say for awhile. Shippou was hovering over Sango anxiously, but Miroku reassured the kit that it was just a mere bump on her head. Inuyasha hopped into a nearby tree after announcing they would be staying there for the night. Kagome started to approach Sango when she heard Sesshomaru breathing heavily.  
  
She turned to him instead, eyeing him with concern. His chest heaved as his lungs strained with effort, confusion and panic flashing in his eyes. He dropped to one knee and, Kagome became alarmed.  
  
"Sesshomaru? What's wrong?" she asked urgently, crouching down next to him.  
  
She pulled away the arm clutching his wounded area with gentle hands, gasping at what she saw. His blood was turning a murky black as it flowed from his body, indicating he had been poisoned when Mangetsu had slashed him.  
  
"K-kagome," he gasped, before his eyes closed in an effort to block out the fiery pain flowing through him. He fell forward, slumping against her, causing her to almost fall backwards. She felt him continue to pant heavily against her chest, and she wrapped her arms around him, clinging to him while trying to support his weight. By then, Inuyasha had leapt down from his lookout in the tree to see what was wrong. Sesshomaru was pulled away from her and laid on the ground.  
  
Inuyasha touched the wound hesitantly, causing Sesshomaru's entire body to spasm. The demon gasped his pain, his eyes rolling to almost the back of his head.  
  
"What's happening to him?!" Kagome asked frantically as the others watched worriedly from across the clearing.  
  
"I'm not sure. I have a feeling that this was what Naraku wanted all along though. . .but what is he after? What can he get by poisoning Sesshomaru?" he said, frowning.  
  
Kagome grasped the taiyoukai's hand tightly in her own. This didn't look good. Sesshomaru was already starting to sweat from fever, and his pulse was racing against hers.  
  
"You need to go to Kaede, Inuyasha. Please, find a cure. I have a feeling he's not going to last much longer."  
  
Inuyasha was reluctant to leave his friends unprotected and ever more against the idea of letting Kagome stay with Sesshomaru without him, but the pleading look in her eyes chased all of his protests away. He nodded before leaping off, speeding off to find a cure that might not even exist.  
  
~*~  
  
The sound of footsteps echoed throughout the empty halls as Kagura hurried to find Naraku. Her heart was pounding so hard that she was sure he would hear it. She slid the door open with a bang and stepped into the room.  
  
There he sat, facing towards the window. He showed no sign of acknowledging her presence, but he knew very well she was there.  
  
"Mangetsu is dead," she stated coldly, gripping her fan so hard her knuckles turned white.  
  
"I am aware," he replied with an air of someone about talking about the weather.  
  
"You're aware?" she asked incredulously. "You're aware?!" she shrieked, her voice growing high with her fury. "You. . .you bastard. . .you knew he would die, didn't you?"  
  
"But of course. It was all part of my plan. He was only needed to poison Sesshomaru and was very expendable. You see, everyone has a part in my plan, including you, Kagura."  
  
Her eyes flashed dangerously, and she clutched her fan like a lifeline.  
  
"What's wrong, Kagura? Do you miss Mangetsu? Aw, you poor girl. . ."  
  
Kagura continued to glare, but on the inside her heart was sinking. Why did he have to know her so completely? Her every weakness, fear, and fault. . .he knew everything. Nothing could be hidden from him. It wasn't the first time she realized that she was trapped in a life without meaning. Naraku held her very heart in his hands. She had no freedom. All she had was her dreams and her sister, Kanna.  
  
Kanna, though emotionless, was the only family Kagura had. Kanna was bound to the same horrible fate as herself. Kagura was becoming more and more determined to free both herself and Kanna.  
  
'Would Kanna show more emotion is she was free? Would she be like other children if she were able to play and live without the fear of having her life stolen every day of her life?  
  
Mangetsu had reminded Kagura very much of Kanna. Kagura had just been beginning to gain a whole family; a sister, a brother (and a bastard of a father). . .but now Mangetsu was dead. He hadn't been a useless glutton like Goshinku. A knot formed in her throat when she thought of Mangetsu, but she didn't cry. She absolutely refused to show that much emotion. She wouldn't give Naraku the satisfaction.  
  
'One day, I will be free, and he will be nothing but a corpse,' she vowed.  
  
Naraku turned his head slightly and glanced back at Kagura from the corner of his eye. "I would leave if I were you, Kagura. Your thoughts betray you, and I would hate to get rid of you before you have fulfilled your true purpose for me."  
  
Kagura gritted her teeth but left without retorting. She walked silently to her room, her feet making no sound this time as they glided over the wooden floor instead of pounding it with fury as they had before. She slid her door slid open and quickly closed it behind her. She stood for a moment before collapsing to her knees in absolute agony. Kagura rocked back and forth, holding in the burning acid trying to leak from her eyes.  
  
"Kagura?"  
  
She looked up blankly to find Kanna in front of her. Light brown eyes stared into her own crimson ones. Though her eyes were blank and emotionless, they did not hold the same maliciousness Naraku's coal black ones did.  
  
'One day. . .I will be free.'  
  
A/N: Hey, this chapter wasn't too bad! I think I write better when I listen to Brand New. ^_^ Thanks for reading and please review! 


	7. Chapter Seven

Kagome mopped the sweat from Sesshomaru's forehead with a cool cloth, trying to bring down his fever. The poison was spreading at an alarmingly fast rate, and the symptoms were already starting to show. He was frightfully pale, and his lips were taking on a bluish tint. He mumbled fragmented words occasionally, and Kagome blushed when she heard her name a few times. Did he even know he was calling out for her?  
  
Sango was fast asleep, Shippou cuddled next to her, while Miroku remained deep in thought. Inuyasha had not returned yet, and things were beginning to look very bleak for Sesshomaru. The herbal remedies Kagome had managed to whip up would only hold off the inevitable for so long. Eventually, the poison would kill Sesshomaru. Kagome just couldn't figure out why this was bothering her so much. Sure, she didn't like to see anyone die, but Sesshomaru had been a sworn enemy up until a few days ago. Why did the thought of him dieing make her so sad?  
  
"Kagome," Miroku called, the light from the fire casting an eerie glow over his face in the darkness. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Oh, Miroku, I'm fine. I didn't get injured at all. You should be more worried about Sesshomaru-"  
  
"I wasn't talking about him. Kagome, your hands are shaking."  
  
Kagome looked down at her hand that was currently grasping Sesshomaru's and was startled to see that Miroku was right. In fact, her entire body was trembling for some reason she couldn't understand.  
  
"I-I don't know what's wrong with me."  
  
Miroku smiled gently. "I think I know what ails you, Lady Kagome. It's a common illness, and can be cured."  
  
"What's wrong with me?"  
  
His gentle smile gave way to a mischievous grin. "You're lovesick!"  
  
Kagome almost fell over. "What do you mean lovesick?!"  
  
"It must be obvious to everyone but you and him. You and Sesshomaru have fallen madly in love with each other, and now that he has taken ill and might die you are fearful that you will never be able to confess your true feelings to him!"  
  
She stared blankly in silence.  
  
"That has to be the dumbest thing I ever heard, Miroku."  
  
"Believe what ever you want Lady Kagome, but I know the symptoms when I see them. You're clutching his hand like a lifeline, and you look over at him every five seconds. You're very weary, and yet you refuse to sleep until you are sure he will get better. It's time to face the truth; you are hopelessly in love with the Demon Lord of the Western Lands."  
  
Miroku had fallen asleep about a half an hour later. His arm had magically draped over Sango while he was asleep, and there was no doubt he would receive a slap in the morning. However, while the others were sleeping peacefully, Kagome continued her vigil over Sesshomaru, trying everything she could possibly think of to bring his fever down.  
  
Even though he was dieing, Sesshomaru still looked immaculate. His hair was fanned out around his head, and his face remained unblemished. Kagome touched his cheek hesitantly, fingers tracing the markings on his face in fascination.  
  
Her knuckles brushed his hair slightly, and she marveled at its silkiness. Though it was the same color as Inuyasha's own albino locks, his weren't gnarled and tangled.  
  
It was amazing how much the relationship between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru was so similar to the one between her and Kikyou. Just because Inuyasha and Sesshomaru shared some of the same features, such as their hair and eyes, didn't make them the same person.  
  
She reluctantly pulled her hand away from his face, hoping that he would open his eyes. When they remained firmly sealed, she sighed in dismay before shifting her legs in an attempt to get more comfortable.  
  
After all, it was going to be a long night for her. She was determined to stay awake until Sesshomaru woke up.  
  
She refused to believe that he could die.  
  
A few hours later, Kagome was lying on the ground. She had fallen asleep from exhaustion, her hand still tightly clasping Sesshomaru's. His eyes opened slowly, blinking as he took in his surroundings. It had been almost a day since Inuyasha had left, but he had yet to return. Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and Kirara were asleep nearby and Kagome. . .  
  
was also asleep. . .  
  
next to him. . .  
  
holding his hand. . .  
  
with his tail wrapped around her like a blanket.  
  
The sight of her arms cuddling his tail like a child would a teddy bear amused him to no end. He lifted his head, trying to get a better view of the girl lying next to him, but he quickly dropped to the ground again with a hiss of pain. Apparently, he was still poisoned.  
  
He frowned. By all means, he should be dead right now. The poison had had plenty of time to take hold of his heart and stop the blood flow. There was no way he could recover from such a fatal poison. Unless. . .  
  
He squinted at the hand that was grasping Kagome's, and wasn't surprised to see a pink light enveloping their connection to each other. It was just as he had suspected; Kagome was unknowingly healing him using her miko energy. The transfer of miko energy was a complicated process that included risks to both people involved in the transfer, but she seemed to be able to do it without even knowing.  
  
However, the effort to heal him had taken so much of her energy that she had passed out from exhaustion. Sesshomaru studied her in wonder. A girl he had barely acknowledged until a few days ago was risking her life to save his own. No one had ever shown him such compassion.  
  
Despite the fact that Kagome had been able to hold off his death for an entire day, he couldn't help wondering if he was going to die. The thought of death didn't really scare him. He was more afraid of what would happen after he died.  
  
Like what would happen to Rin for instance.  
  
Sesshomaru seriously doubted Jaken would stick around to take care of the child, no matter how loyal the toad demon was to his master. Rin would most likely be abandoned, and without protection, she would easily be killed.  
  
A low grow rose in his throat at the thought of Rin's death. He couldn't just die on the child. She looked up to him as a father. It was his job to protect her.  
  
'Would Kagome be sad if I were to perish?'  
  
Kagome seemed like the kind of girl that didn't like to see anyone die. Would she mourn him as a friend or as someone more intimate was the real question. He gazed at the girl lying next to him. She was facing towards him, her expression peaceful. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, her chest rising and falling with each breath. As he looked at Kagome, he began to feel almost possessive of her.  
  
'Kagome is mine now, but if I died would she move on and find someone else, despite the fact that I have laid claimed on her?'  
  
Sesshomaru was sure Kagome would mourn his passing, but she probably would get on with her life. She might even consider becoming Inuyasha's mate! His eyes began to take on a reddish glow with his anger. He was determined not to die now, for both Rin's sake and Kagome's.  
  
To calm himself, Sesshomaru strained a trembling hand to brush Kagome's cheek. The warmth she gave off comforted him, and he fell into a deep, healing sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Inuyasha ran as fast as he could, touching down to the ground every now and then before launching into the air once more, giving a false appearance that he was flying.  
  
'Come on. . .almost there. . .'  
  
Inuyasha wasn't even quite sure himself why he was so determined to save Sesshomaru. If his brother was dead, life would be a lot easier for him. He wouldn't have anyone trying to steal his sword anymore, and he wouldn't have any competition for Kagome's affections.  
  
'Except for that wimpy wolf,' Inuyasha scoffed to himself. 'He doesn't really count though.'  
  
The shard hunting group had traveled a lot farther than Inuyasha had thought, and now he was racing against the clock to get back to Kaede's village. He could only hope she knew a cure for the poison otherwise there would be no chance for Sesshomaru.  
  
Inuyasha got a sinking feeling in his gut when he spotted a plume of dark smoke hovering over Kaede's village. He set down on the ground, and the horrible smell of death quickly assaulted his nostrils, making his eyes tear.  
  
He walked slowly through the destroyed village, all senses on alert. The remains of Kaede's hut made a lump form in his throat, and he looked away hurriedly. Hopefully she had managed to flee with some of the other villagers. Inuyasha clenched his fists, nails digging into his skin.  
  
'This attack reeks of Naraku. He probably knew we would search for a cure from Kaede after Sesshomaru was poisoned. The stupid bastard is always one step ahead of us! It's like we're puppets that he can manipulate with only a tug of strings. We can't tell if he's lowering us into a trap until it's too later. . .'  
  
Inuyasha's ears froze as a harsh chuckling filled the air.  
  
"Very good, Inuyasha! It seems you aren't a stupid as you look. I suppose you're looking for a cure for your brother?"  
  
Inuyasha growled, trying to figure out where Naraku was hiding. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.  
  
"What do you want Naraku?" he snarled out to his seemingly-empty surroundings.  
  
Naraku laughed even harder.  
  
"What makes you think I want something from you, my dear boy? It appears you never learn from past mistakes. No matter how many times I plant the same trap, you always fall into it head first. By now the girl is already back at my palace, and your other friends are trying to figure out what to write on the 'Great Sesshomaru's' tombstone."  
  
Inuyasha felt his pulse quicken in panic. Naraku's goal had been to lure him away from the others! With Sesshomaru wounded and Inuyasha gone, their defenses would be low. It was the perfect time for an attack!  
  
"Damn you!" Inuyasha shouted, racing back from where he came from faster than he believed was possible. Naraku's maniacal laughter quickly faded into the distance, but Inuyasha knew he'd never make it in time.  
  
~*~  
  
When Sesshomaru woke the next morning, the aches he had felt the previous day were a thing of the past. He sat up slowly and stretched his arms carefully only to find that he felt more energized than before the battle.  
  
He looked in wonder at the girl who had healed him only to find her still sleeping peacefully along with the other members of the camp. His lips twitched as he fought the smile that was starting to bloom on his face. Kagome was truly an amazing girl. She would make a wonderful mate for him.  
  
'And a wonderful mother for our pups,' he added silently, remembering how kind she always was to the kitsune that traveled with them.  
  
Of course, it was Kagome's decision to make. She still had a few more days left until she would have to give an answer, and Sesshomaru was determined to win her over.  
  
'Kagome, you will be mine, whether you like it or not.'  
  
A/N: Ugh, you guys can blame my delay for updating on evil school. . Does anyone else besides me REALLY miss the summer? Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter! It's a little on the short side, but I didn't want to make you wait any longer. Please review! It makes me really happy to get feedback on my stories. 


	8. Chapter Eight

"Sesshomaru?"  
  
Sesshomaru rolled over onto his side, trying to avoid to soothing voice beckoning him to get up. He moaned, feeling slightly childish, but still reluctant to get up when he felt so comfortable. The ground was soft, the sun's rays had yet to fully illuminate the sky, and the warmth emitting from Kagome's body-  
  
was no longer there.  
  
Sesshomaru sprang up immediately, almost knocking heads with Kagome who had been hovering over him anxiously.  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked, brows furrowing with worry.  
  
"Yes," he said. It wasn't a lie either. He felt stronger than he had in a long time. Kagome truly was an amazing person. It was almost impossible for a miko to give off such energy when not even meaning to.  
  
Kagome bit her lip, and Sesshomaru was almost able to taste the apprehension that was rolling off of her in waves. "Inuyasha hasn't gotten back yet. I'm starting to get worried."  
  
He frowned. It was unusual that Inuyasha was taking so long. It wasn't like it mattered now; Sesshomaru was fully healed. However, there was a chance that Inuyasha had run into trouble on his way to the village.  
  
"There's nothing to do but wait, Kagome," he replied. "Unless you want me to go look for him?"  
  
Sesshomaru must have said the wrong thing because fury started to seep into Kagome's aurora.  
  
"Are you insane?! You almost DIED yesterday! You're not MOVING until you're completely healed! Now sit down and I'll check you over to see if your wound healed."  
  
Feeling somewhat ashamed at his lack of defiance, Sesshomaru plopped down on the ground while Kagome rummaged through her first aid kit. She pulled out a medical scissor to cut away his bandages and then lifted up his shirt, a slight blush tinting her face.  
  
'Don't look at him, just cut away the bandages. You're just doing this to make sure he's healed. Don't-Oh my God, he has a six pack!'  
  
Sesshomaru's body looked as if it had been carved to perfection by an artist. Each muscle was defined, and her hands trembled as she cut away the bandages. Sesshomaru noticed this and grinned smugly. Kagome was amazed to find that nothing remained of the scratches. Not even faint lines. This was fast healing, even for a demon. She ran a hand over the once-wounded area, marveling at the skin's smoothness. Sesshomaru placed one hand on top of hers, and she looked up at him in wonder. His face started to descend towards hers, but the moment was broken when Inuyasha burst into the clearing.  
  
"Inuyasha's back!" Shippou cried cheerfully, pulling Miroku's hair in an effort to wake him. He and Sango were still entwined together, oblivious to the world around them.  
  
Kagome pulled away quickly and greeted Inuyasha with a hug. However, Sesshomaru lingered behind, a threat veiled by shadow growing on his mind. Something was not right.  
  
"Inuyasha, I'm so glad you came back! What took you so long? I was getting worried!" Kagome rambled, her arms squeezing the hanyou's middle tightly.  
  
Inuyasha smiled down at her, "I'm sorry for making you worry. I'll never let you out of my sight again."  
  
Kagome froze. That was extremely out of character for Inuyasha. He placed his hands on her shoulders, grasping them tightly.  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
"Get away from him, Kagome!" Sesshomaru yelled. His voice was slightly panicked. "That's not Inuyasha!"  
  
The warning came too late. Naraku had already begun to morph back into his true form. Silver hair turned to black, as if a bottle of ink had drenched it. Golden eyes were also swallowed in black as the transformation ended.  
  
"Lord Sesshomaru, how unfortunate you still live. This would have been much easier if you had just stayed dead." Naraku said silkily.  
  
Kagome struggled to get out of the death grip he had on her shoulders. The sun above them was now obstructed with dark clouds. Thunder boomed in the distance threateningly, and small drops of water began to land on her bare skin. Miroku and Sango were now on their feet, though they didn't seem as if they were going to be much help. Sango was still disoriented from the blow she had taken to her head, and Miroku was supporting her body.  
  
"In a few hours from now, the complete Shikon Jewel will be in my grasp!" Naraku announced.  
  
Without warning, miasma poured into the clearing, choking everyone but Naraku. Sesshomaru covered his mouth, trying desperately to see through the smog. He was barely able to make out the outline of Naraku rising into the air on a cloud of miasma, Kagome still in his grasp.  
  
Sesshomaru darted forward blindly, the sound of his companions' coughs and his own heart beat pounding his ears. His efforts proved futile as Naraku rose high above his reach. Bending his knees in preparation, Sesshomaru shot up into the sky. The cloud of miasma was left far beneath him. However, Naraku and Kagome were no where in sight, and he was forced to face that the hanyou had escaped. He fell back to the ground, the miasma around him clearing slowly.  
  
'Naraku, you will pay for taking what is mine.'  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome was relieved to find herself breathing clean air when she woke. The thick miasma that had once surrounded her was no longer there. The downside was that she had no idea where she was, and that it was pretty obvious Naraku had escaped with her.  
  
'Stupid Narkau,' she thought bitterly. 'He showed up right when Sesshomaru and I were about to. . .'  
  
Her cheeks heated. What WERE they about to do? She distinctly remembered Sesshomaru's lips growing achingly nearer to hers. Shaking her head to clear out those thoughts, she glanced around the room. There were no lights, and it seemed rather dark outside. The wood paneling was very oppressing, and the room was bare of furniture.  
  
She jumped as the door slid open and Kagura entered the room. The demon's face was blank, and Kagome shuddered at the sorrow reflecting in the woman's red eyes. Kagura had always been a mystery. She seemed to hate Naraku, and yet, he was her creator.  
  
"Listen closely, and do not interrupt," Kagura commanded. "Naraku is planning to have you use a spell that will summon all the pieces of the Shikon Jewel. He's going to use the jewel to become a full-fledged demon, and then there will be no hope at stopping him. I am not going to let him get away with this, but I'm going to need your help."  
  
Kagome watched her warily, wondering if she was being tricked.  
  
"Why are you against Naraku? I thought he created you."  
  
Kagura grinned bitterly. "I'd rather have no life than a half-life. I live only to do his bidding, a mere puppet. If Naraku is destroyed, I will be free to live as I choose."  
  
Her red eyes seemed to look into Kagome's soul.  
  
"So, are you going to help me?"  
  
The silence that followed was filled with tension.  
  
"Yes."  
  
A/N: WOOOHOOO! I finally finished the chapter! I am so sorry for taking so long to update. I do have excuses though ^.^;; even though they're not very good ones lol. I only have THREE WEEKS until my entrance exams for high school though and I STILL don't have any idea where I'm going. Of course, there's also been normal school work, family deaths, and my social life getting in the way. I'll try to update more consistently though. I hope you liked the chapter and THANK YOU so much to everyone that reviewed! Seriously, if I didn't have people asking me to continue this story I would have given up on it a long time ago. You guys are awesome! 


	9. Chapter Nine

I'm back, after making you wait forever. I figured I'd save the rambling excuses for the end of the chapter and just let you read now.  
  
Sesshomaru led the way to the supposed location of Naraku's castle. The stench of miasma could not easily be covered up, and it was leading an almost exact trail straight to its master. The whole situation made Sesshomaru feel uneasy though. It was almost as if the set up was too deliberate.  
  
'I fear we're walking straight into a trap,' he thought grimly. 'And why hasn't Inuyasha returned yet?'  
  
Sango had more or less recovered, though she would have continued on even if she was still weakened. She was in no way a lazy woman and would not tolerate being left behind, as if she was expendable. Miroku didn't find it too hard to keep up with Sesshomaru's grueling pace; however, he brought up the rear so he could keep an eye on Sango.  
  
If you know what I mean.  
  
Shippou perched on Miroku's shoulder, looking very anxious and slightly out of place. He was usually walking along with Kagome. The girl's mere presence gave him a sense of peace and comfort.  
  
The fact that she might not be returning was like losing a mother all over again.  
  
Sesshomaru's senses heightened even more as the forest began to narrow out into a sort of barren, flattened wasteland of nothing more than rocks and boulders.  
  
"Hey, look at that!" Sango said, placing one hand on the enlarged form of Kirara's head while using the other one to point.  
  
A dark, massive building rose up from the side of a cliff. Dense fog curled around the pointed roofs of the separate towers, the curling tendrils making the structure seem almost as if it was only an apparition. It grew larger and more foreboding with every step they took towards it. A bolt of lightening suddenly illuminated the dark palace completely, followed by the crashing of thunder.  
  
Naraku's castle.  
  


* * *

  
The lightening from the storm outside illuminated the shadows and lines of weariness on Kagome's face as she poured over a pile of textbooks. The numbers on the digital clock were blinking the time at her. Her vision was too blurred to make out the digits clearly but whatever time it was, it was an absurd time to be up studying. A boom outside from the thunder startled her, causing her notebook to be knocked on to the floor.  
  
'Maybe I should get some sleep...after just...one more problem,' she thought tiredly, determined to be prepared for her math test the next day.  
  
She froze as she heard her door creak open. Her heart was pounding furiously. Her experiences from Fuedal Japan had taught her that anyone attempting to sneak up on you was most likely an enemy.  
  
Gathering her exhausted wits together, her shoulder blades tensed as she reached for the nearest weapon (a pencil) and prepared herself for attack.  
  
"Kagome?" a voice whispered timidly.  
  
Relief flooded her body as she turned to face her little brother.  
  
"Souta, what are you doing up?" she asked, rubbing at her eyes and standing up.  
  
'I think I'm becoming way too paranoid.'  
  
"I-I couldn't sleep. I had a bad dream," he mumbled. Souta looked at his feet, expecting to hear some kind of teasing or mocking from his older sister.  
  
Instead, Kagome dropped to her knees and hugged her little brother tightly. Maybe it was the exhaustion and stress caused from the fact she lived two separate lives and had no time to do simple things like homework or just hanging out with friends, but for a moment, she wanted nothing more than to shield her brother from all the harsh realities of life. She had seen enough destruction for the both of them.  
  
"It's okay, Souta. Nightmares can't hurt you. I have to stay up to study anyway so you can sleep in my bed. I'll wake you up if you have a bad dream again."  
  
Walking through Naraku's castle with the wind and the thunder roaring outside evoked the memory of that stormy night with her brother that had occurred months ago.  
  
'I swear that if I can survive this plan of Kagura's, I'll never whine about homework or Souta or anything ever again.'  
  
Kagura had formulated a risky plan that would stop Naraku's plan to call together the shards of the Shikon and, with luck, turn his spell against him. Kagome would only have one shot at making it work though, and the odds weren't looking too good for her.  
  
After explaining her plan, Kagura had informed her that Naraku wanted her to meet him in his private chambers on the opposite side of the castle.  
  
"Go directly there, and don't try anything funny," Kagura said, red eyes gleaming, as if they could read Kagome's mind. "This is his castle, you'll do well to remember that. He knows and sees everything that goes on in it. Attempted escapes or delays will only serve to annoy him and make things worse for you. I'll be standing by to see if you need my help."  
  
She then proceeded to give Kagome a large amount of mind boggling directions and shoved her into the hallway, ushering her in the direction of Naraku's chambers.  
  
Needless to say, Kagome quickly got hopelessly lost.  
  
'You know,' Kagome thought cynically, 'it would be really funny and depressing if Kagura was never really on my side and just gave me that whole plan to help make my death by Naraku's hands even more painful.'  
  
The soft padding of Kagome's bare feet on the cold wooden floor came to an abrupt stop as she stumbled, gasping softly in shock. She felt a familiar tug on her soul that could only mean one thing:  
  
Shikon shards...  
  
She felt her face heat with embarrassment. 'Naraku probably figured out that I would get lost and just made the presence of the Shikon shards known to me in order to speed things up. That way, I'll have no excuse for being tardy in getting to his rooms. Arrogant bastard...'  
  
Kagome followed the presence of the Shikon shards until she came to a halt outside a fine wooden door. It was decorated with blood red hibiscus flowers connected to murky green stems, winding all around the black characters spelling out 'Naraku.' The flowers seemed to be dripping blood on to the characters.  
  
'What a pleasant design,' Kagome thought sarcastically. 'Yes, this is definitely the place.'  
  
Despite her inner sarcasm, she could feel shivers racing down her spine as she took a deep breath and slid the door open.  
  


* * *

  
The group approached the gates to Naraku's castle which opened before them, almost as if they were welcome there.  
  
"This isn't right," Miroku said gravely. "We're walking right into a trap. Naraku wants us to go in there. There's no other reason as to why he's let us into his domain without any sort of struggle."  
  
Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, "That has become blindingly obvious, human. However, if you have some other plan that will allow us to magically summon Kagome from Naraku's grasp without setting foot inside the castle, I would love to hear it."  
  
"That's enough," Sango said, a frown crossing her face. "This is no time to argue. There's too much at stake right now to waste time acting like children.  
  
"Sango's right. We're going to have to work together to get Kagome out of there!" Shippou said, shaking nodding sagely.  
  
Miroku smiled grimly. "Never fear Shippou. We're all going to get out of this, together."  
  
Sesshomaru nodded reluctantly.  
  
'Together.'  
  
Short chapter, but better than nothing right? I don't think anything excuses me from abandoning my stories for months except for the fact that I kind of lost my interest in writing, and my life has been really busy. I hope I'll start writing regularly again now, but I can't make any promises. To all of you that reviewed and promised to stick by me and wait for me to update, you are so unbelievably cool. I can't thank you enough for being so patient. Hope you all continue reading. 


	10. Chapter Ten

Entering Naraku's private chambers reminded Kagome somewhat of the haunted houses they sometimes have at carnivals. It was the same dank atmosphere, the same all-consuming dark that seemed to swallow you up. Every brain cell in your mind screams 'turn back!' but you keep moving forward.  
  
Only this was real.  
  
The flimsy cardboard cutouts shaped like threatening figures that usually appear in haunted houses were replaced by four dark paneled walls. One of the walls was almost completely covered by heavy shades blocking the only windows in the room, though the occasional flash of lightening could be seen.  
  
In the center of the room, a huge cauldron-like pot bubbled, sparks flying off the surface, a thin layer of steam settling over the brew. A man stood over it, looking down at the concoction as if he was in deep meditation. His features were barely visible, but he appeared to be handsome in an almost haunting sense, with pale skin and long, dark hair. He was currently murmuring to himself softly, ignoring Kagome's presence for the time being.  
  
Kagome felt her apprehension growing as the period of silence continued on. She was starting to wish that Naraku would say something, if only to end the horrible feeling of anxiousness she had. It would only be a few moments until she found out if her plan to save the past, and possibly the future, would work.  
  
"You're quite an enigma," he spoke, almost conversationally. "You evaded my demons, ensnared the heart of a taiyoukai—don't look so surprised, I've been watching you for quite some time now."  
  
He dropped another clump of herbs into his concoction, causing it to froth and bubble even more.  
  
"I first assumed that in order to gain the shards of the Shikon Jewel, I would have to wait many years. I am a patient creature though. What was a few more years of struggle when I have already waited over fifty? But then I came across this handy little spell...one that was created to help in the case that the jewel would ever become shattered. I was ecstatic at first but then grew remorseful upon seeing that the spell had to be performed by a 'pure being.' A miko, such as yourself."  
  
He finally looked her in the eyes, and Kagome was frightened by what she saw. Naraku's eyes had always been crimson, but now they positively burned red with some obscene power. She choked down a scream.  
  
"And now I have you. And now you're going to help me."  
  
~*~  
She pushed herself to run as fast as she could. This wasn't happening, this just couldn't be happening! Those stupid fools! They were going to ruin everything!  
  
"Kanna!" she shouted. "I need you now! Head to the foyer, they've gotten here sooner than I predicted they would."  
  
'Naraku wants them here so they'll be able to witness Kagome's defeat, and she will be defeated if they interfere! We only have one chance at stopping Naraku and I'm not going to let them take my only chance of freedom! I just hope that Naraku doesn't notice I'm delaying their arrival.'  
  
Kagura stood in the doorway leading into the castle, trying to smooth down her flustered appearance and maintain her calm and collected façade.  
  
'This is the last time I ever do something in his filthy name...'  
  
The group had just appeared from within the thick smog when Kanna reached her side.  
  
"Now remember sister," Kagura murmured quietly, "aim to disable, not to kill. If you feel like you can't fight anymore, retreat. I don't want anything happening to you."  
  
Kanna looked up at Kagura with seemingly emotionless eyes and nodded.  
  
'I'm going to save both of us, Kanna. We're both going to be free and start a new life, you just wait and see.'  
  
The two groups stood in silence for a moment, like basketball players facing off before the start of the game.  
  
"Get out of the way, Kagura!" the monk commanded, his hand poised to release his wind tunnel.  
  
The demon slayer was dressed in her battle armor. Her fire cat stood loyally by her side, growling menacingly. The little kitsune was on her shoulder, looking slightly pale at the thought of battling, but determined nonetheless to save his surrogate mother.  
  
It was Sesshomaru that caught her attention though. His appearance was aloof and displayed superiority, as usual. He towered over his companion, not only in physical stature. His very attitude and the way he held himself made him seem greater than them, more powerful. However, it was his eyes that gave away his true feelings. He could pretend to be aloof and uncaring all he wanted, but his eyes burned with a raging fire that shone with both love and hate.  
  
Love for Kagome.  
Hate for the ones that had taken her away from him.  
  
If the situation of the battle had been different, maybe she would have felt fear of the dog demon. Hell, the icy glare that she was receiving alone was enough to send most people running as fast as they could in the opposite direction. But there was too much at stake to be afraid. This was freedom she was fighting for. She could not afford to let her fear blind her and cause her to make foolish mistakes.  
  
"If you want her," she said tauntingly, opening her fan with a harsh snap, "come and get her!"  
  
She swung her seemingly harmless weapon in a sweeping arc, causing a gust of wind sharp enough to cut the skin towards the group in front of her. They scattered quickly to avoid the blast. Then another. Then a third.  
  
'So it begins,' Kagura thought grimly.  
  
~*~  
  
Kagome's eyes watered from the heat rising out of the cauldron in front of her. At least, that's what she was trying to convince herself of. In truth, she was crying. Crying tears over the hopelessness of her situation. In her mind she silently apologized to Kagura for not being able to carry out their plan. She apologized to her friends for not being strong enough. She apologized to Sesshomaru for never taking up his offer to become his mate.  
  
'If only I had managed to put the nullifier Kagura gave me in the cauldron before Naraku tied me up we might have had a chance...'  
  
Kagome shuddered as she felt Naraku's warm breath on the back of her neck. She struggled to escape the bonds holding her hands behind her back, but to no avail. She fought an internal battle with herself to stop her tears from running. Naraku didn't deserve the satisfaction.  
  
"Say it," he commanded.  
  
It had come down to this. Naraku had added her drop of her blood to his potion. Now the words of the spell Naraku had given her, should she choose to utter them, would summon all the jewel shards together, dropping the coveted object of tremendous power right into the evil demon's slimy grip.  
  
"You can't make me do anything," she spat.  
  
Kagome held her head up high. If she had to lose her life, she would not lose her dignity at the same time. Her blood ran cold at the mocking laughter that poured from his mouth. She had a sudden sinking feeling that he wasn't just going to let her die and escape this.  
  
"On the contrary," he said, still chuckling, "there are methods of torture I find quite effective. You'll succumb to my will soon enough. The longer you hold out, the more entertainment you'll provide."  
  
The feeling of helplessness that threatened to wholly consume her was greater than anything she had ever experienced. She wasn't sure if she would be able to hold up against any kind of torture Naraku was going to practice on her.  
  
'Someone help me,' she thought desperately as she felt the press of cold steel against her cheek.  
  
"I wonder if 'The Great Lord Sesshomaru' will think you as beautiful if your face is mutilated beyond recognition?" he asked, cruelly drawing a cut across one cheek.  
  
Kagome let out a sharp scream as one of the windows covered by the heavy shades shattered, glass scattering throughout the room.  
  
"Get the hell off of her Naraku!" a familiar voice snarled.  
  
Inuyasha. Reckless, moronic, luckier-than-hell, wonderful Inuyasha had finally arrived. Just in time, as always, to save her. Kagome felt her knees grow weak with relief. She felt like crying and laughing at the same time.  
  
"Inuaysha! You're just in time to help me convince the lovely miko here to help me out with my spell," Naraku said, a plan quickly forming in his mind.  
  
Inuyasha snarled, pulling the Tetsusaiga out of its sheath. "Naraku, I swear if you tou—"  
  
But he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence or attack Naraku as the demon plowed toward him headfirst, miasma bursting forth from his body, creating dense fog. Inuyasha was slammed into the wall, back impacting with a harsh crack. He choked on the poisonous fumes, hands clenching into fists among the shattered shards of the window.  
  
'Focus!' he yelled to himself. 'You cannot let him get to Kagome. Get up and fight!'  
  
He struggled as a pale hand grasped his neck tightly and squeezed tightly. Spots began to form before his eyes as he tried to gasp in the poisoned air around him. However, a quick, well-placed kick to Naraku's gut sent him sprawling across the room. An attempt to find his sword proved fruitless as the miasma almost completely obscured his vision.  
  
While Inuyasha and Naraku brawled, Kagome saw what might be her only chance to put the nullifier Kagura had given her into the concoction Naraku needed to complete the shard summoning spell. With hands behind her back she tried her best to reach the front pocket in her skirt. The miasma clogged her throat and stung her eyes, but her hand was slowly inching closer to her pocket.  
  
Almost...  
  
"Got it!" she exclaimed aloud before choking on the smoke and having a slight coughing fit.  
  
Her hand tightened on the small glass vial, and she pulled it out of her pocket, despite the fact that the rope was chaffing against her wrists and making welts. She winced as Inuyasha slammed into the wall a second time. The cauldron was almost in reach. All it would take was a well-aimed toss and the vial would go sailing in.  
  
If only things were that simple.  
  
Kagome's foot snagged on the Tetsusaiga which had skittered across the floor when Inuyasha had fallen. The ground came up to meet her while the vial flew from her hand. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the tiny glass jar holding the key to saving everything sailed through the purple haze and finally met the wood floor with a shattering noise.  
  
Time sped up...  
  
Kagome hit the ground on her knees, leaning backwards to keep herself from falling flat on to her face. She stared in disbelief at the pink liquid slowly soaking into the floor and the tiny glass pieces littering the ground near the puddle.  
  
And she knew, without any doubt, that any hope of saving life as she knew it was lost.  
  
^.^ See? I made it longer this time! 


End file.
